When We Were Young

Eighty-six:

Eighty-six:

When Alina managed to make herself wake up, Tamar was in the room watching her. "The Princess awakes," she said, "I'll go get your grandmother."

Tamar left before Alina could even say a word, and the door behind her was locked. She thought about getting up and trying to make a run for it, but she had no doubt that every window and every exit was guarded. All she could do was wait.

What seemed to be hours later, the door opened, and Alina got a good look at her grandmother. The queen of Shu Han, Leyti Kir-Taban, was an elegant woman. What struck Alina most about her grandmother was that she could see her fathers familiar, grim face looking back at her after ages of not having seen it. "You know who you are?" the Queen said.

Alina nodded.

The Queen shook her head. "You weren't supposed to. Not until the time was right. Baghra Morozova should have had professionals looking after you, not children. Of course, I didn't get any say in the matter. Your fool of a father insisted on keeping you from me. He thought I wouldn't have your best interests at heart. Well, I am making you go from a common girl, to a future queen. That is what most young girls want. Rasmus will be coming for you soon, your fiancé, and you will do your duty and marry him."

"I'm pregnant," Alina said, "with another mans child."

"Yes, and thankfully, Rasmus is making you an honorable woman whereas that good for nothing Morozova wouldn't. You know he was hired to ruin you, don't you? We still haven't found out who, but there are plenty of people that would want a Shu Han princess ruined."

Alina shook her head. "I am not a princess. I'm a Starkov, and I'm not marrying your prince."

The Queen laughed. "You will do this to honor your father, or else you are doing a disservice to him."

"I don't have the maps!" Alina blurted.

Her Grandmother tilted her head to her side. "What are you talking about? Of course, you have the maps. You were given them by your grandfather. I know that. It's why I've got him in under house arrest. Those maps were meant to be given to Fjerda as part of a bargaining chip to keep our country safe. You are to marry the prince, and you are to give them to him so that our home will be safe."

"Do you know what those maps lead to?" Alina said. "They lead to tunnels in The Fold. Old trading tunnels. If anyone were to get their hands on them, it's going to lead to war. People are going to die."

Her grandmother locked eyes with her. "Let them fight amongst themselves. The other countries are not my concern. My people are my concern. Your father was from here, and you are tied to this land. You should want what's best for our country too."

"I want what's best for people," Alina said, "and what's best for people isn't to be part of some war that they didn't ask to be part of, regardless of where they are from. There's one planet, grandmother. We need to be focusing on making it better, not making it worse. War has never benefited anyone, not even those that decide that they are going to fight it."

Queen Leyti smiled at her. "You speak very noble words, my dear. But you will soon find that trying to play hero only does one thing. It just leads to you getting killed. I have already alerted Rasmus that you are awake finally, and he will be here to take you to Fjerda."

"I could run."

Queen Leyti just laughed. "If you wish to die, then go ahead. But I don't think you'll sacrifice the life of your unborn baby no matter how selfish and wretched you are being right now."

Alina glare at her. "You know when I was first told that I had family I was happy. I had been alone for so long. I thought that I was finally going to have someone to take care of me. To love me. But now I realize that family does not always mean love. Family can mean pain and misery, and that is what you and the Lantsovs have brought me. Pain and misery. I was better when I was alone. I was better when my family was Mal."

"Mal betrayed you. Morozova betrayed you. They were not your family. Your family, your legacy is here, and you will do as I say."

"Or what?" Alina asked.

"What do you mean, or what?" her grandmother asked.

"I've already lived with nothing my entire life. I can happily go back to having nothing, grandmother."

"There is no 'or what', Alina. There is only doing as your Queen commands you. That is your only option. Nothing else."